Car Smash to RPI

2016 had its highs and lows.  If you read my recap of Stagecoach 400 you will know that I was riding a big wave into preparations for Dirty Kanza.  That all came to a screeching halt when I was struck by a truck while out on an early AM training ride in May.  Broken scapula and a grade 2 separation wasn't going to leave enough time to heal and get back on the horse for a Kanza start.

A lot of time has passed between then and now so I figured I would just do a sort of photo essay to bring you up to speed on 2016 because I am very excited to start writing about what is to come in 2017.

EDIT:  After adding all of these pictures and writing captions it made me feel so grateful for how full our life is.  Wendi and I have our work and life stresses like everyone but I am so happy to have a family that loves adventure and an employer that gives me the funding and flexibility to do what we love.  This has afforded us to see some amazing places and build a network of friends across the country and around the world.

Hurts worse than it looks

Maybe on drugs?

Tegraderm and tape

Alan becomes and artist

Back on the trainer within a few weeks.  Still banned from the outdoors.

New baseball stuff for Jake

Packed for work trip to Amsterdam

Family seeing me off at the airport

Bikes.....yes, bikes.

Successful partner training in Holland

First time riding outdoors since the crash

Great time riding around the Dutch coutryside

Bike tours are the best!

Found real beer (not Heineken) in Amsterdam

Incredible 8 course meal at Caffe Toscanini

More riding on cobbles

Coffee stop!

Here is a link to all of the pictures from the Amsterdam trip:

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10205600277161160&type=1&l=1a40ed8610

Back to the ortho for a check-up.  All good.

Riding back a the scene of the crime.

New TwinSix Ti Rando to replace my destroyed Niner BSB.  Love this bike.

Treehouse progress.

Alan is a cycling pro this summer.

Off to Florida for family vacation!

Big Florida training ride brought to a halt.

We adventure hard.

Off to MG for a TNGA shakedown weekend.

Great visibility that day

Love seeing this sign

Shreddy weekend in Santa Cruz with my lady.

This bike is amazing......it really need it.

Santa Cruz factory demos.  This place is bike heaven.  $20 fee which is donated to local trail building to check out a $10K bike for the day.  2 mile ride to hit singletrack. 

Huge redwoods in Nisene Marks 

Great gravel heading up to the summit

Such a fun night at the Santa Cruz Boardwalk with Jay, Heidi & the girls.

California BBQ is actually awesome.

Back in Jackson for some gravel rides.  Love to see how we have grown this group in just one short year.

New shoes.....already thinking about 2017 races 

Treehouse progress 

Heartbreaking mechanicals at TNGA this year

A second TNGA in the books.  Not quite the race I was shooting for but finished nonetheless.  I may write about this mental victory in the future.

Annual sales meeting in Vegas 

Jake helping me research appliances for a pending remodel

Ketchum!

Grinding towards Trail Creek

Such a great climb.  Trail Creek is pretty damn washboarded this year. 

The views.

The one and only Rebecca Rusch

Ready to roll

Totally surprised myself and finished 25th out of around 500 riders.

Giddy Up!  See ya next year RPI.

Fresh haircuts.

Exploring new gravel at home.  Bentonia route has a lot to offer.

Great hike with Jake and Roxie.

Random doughnut day

No more races this year....time to chill and have 100% fun

Learned to spatchcock a chicken

New gravel wheels.  Nox Citico hoops laced to I9 hubs thanks to Dustin @ Southern Wheelworks.

Great birthday present from wife for vacation inspiration.

Hiking San Jacinto out of Idyllwild on a weekend getaway.

Couple of fruits

Pretty big hike.  20 miles, ~5K gain.  Destroyed my ankles.

The down part was harder than the up. 

Here are more pics from our trip to Idyllwild:

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10206197330687125&type=1&l=c16f10e8ea

Hosting our local IMBA Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day.

Cool Kickstarter bike bell.

Awesome Halloween weekend trip with Jared & Heather to Arkansas.

Back to Portugal!

This time I took a day to go on a bike tour around Lisbon.  Incredible history in this city.

Giving a clinic on bikepacking at our annual mountain biking festival.  I could do this all day, everyday.

Don't forget to vote!

The determination on this kid's face......I love it!

More remodel research.  I cannot wait for a gas range and a hood that actually works.

Selling my road bike.

Off to Australia.

Melbourne is a pretty awesome city.

Found Tupac in a bathroom.

Back in Sydney!  Such a cool town.

Taking Jake to the zoo.

Didn't I say I would have this bike?  Tight fit in our boxes. 

New power meter.

Love winter time lunches.

Alan crushes the spelling bee but gets hung up on a ridiculous word.

Gravel with good friends.

We love movie nights

Ready for 2017 with this bike

Calorie planning for the next chapter

Arizona is amazing.  More to come on this one.

So it is almost 2017 with a lot of awesome stuff in store for our family.  I am going to focus on just two big races next year.  All 750+ miles of the Arizona Trail in April then the Caldera 500 in the fall.  There will other adventure peppered in but in the past year, I found that two big races with the rest of our big life is just about right.  We will also be going through a pretty big home remodel, a trip to Scotland and much more.